Poll

Today's Opinions

The article in the Canyon and Columbine couriers on April 22 may have given the impression that Jefferson County’s social services fund would leave the Head Start program short $650,000 and in violation of federal law.

Have you ever noticed how every year is the most amazing something in people’s memories? We’ve never had a drier winter. We’ve never had a hotter summer. That’s the best team we’ve ever had. I’ve never seen someone behave so badly. It’s usually not true. Time has a tendency of evening things out.

Bonuses have been in the news a lot lately, and the news has not been positive. Most recently, Jeffco’s employee bonus policy has come under scrutiny.

I do not think bonuses are appropriate for public employees, and I said so two years ago. But my proposal to eliminate bonuses did not get the support of my fellow commissioners. They argued that government should be run more like a business, and bonuses are a legitimate method of acknowledging and rewarding exceptional performance in business.

I loved Kelly’s passionate plea for schools in her Columbine column. It’s ironic and predictably perfect that she would follow it up by advocating for a $300 million cut in higher education this week. Education is the single most important force in creating the kind of citizenry that America needs. An indication that you value schools would be a willingness to pay for them, as our state surely must.

Recently, my former colleagues in the state House passed a bill that would make it illegal to drive while talking on a cell phone, unless you’re using a hands-free device. By the looks of it, the ban will pass the Senate and be signed by the governor.

At first glance, this seems a reasonable law. But it’s also totally redundant. In fact, under current law, a person who causes an accident while talking on a cell phone can be prosecuted under no fewer than four criminal statutes.

Rob Witwer’s column is an example of what Al Gore pointed out in “An Inconvenient Truth,” that the popular press doesn’t hesitate to level the playing field between pure ideology and scientific theory, presenting the former as the equal to the latter, in complete disregard of evidence, logic, and a broad consensus among experts.

When I see parents waiting at a bus stop, I can remember the multitude of feelings I had when my child came home from school on the day of the Columbine shootings. The illusion of schools as safe havens was irrevocably shattered, as were so many lives. We are all Columbine.

Coyotes are active in Jefferson County and the metro area. The following is adapted from Colorado Division of Wildlife literature.

Coyotes on the Front Range?

Coyotes are extremely adaptable and can thrive in urban areas. From downtown Denver to the smallest suburb, coyotes are not new to residential communities. They can and will be found in any neighborhood that provides their basic needs — food, water, shelter and space.